Below, please find a list of FAQs regarding our inaugural Graduate Student Research Symposium, taking place on Wednesday, April 23, from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm.

Question: I am teaching during the symposium on April 23 (or for some other reason cannot attend for entire time). Can I still participate if I am not able to stay for the entire event?

Answer: Unfortunately, no. You will be visited by multiple judges over the course of 1-2 hours, you will interact with other presenters, and it is good manners to remain through the announcement of the winners. If you cannot participate in the entire event, you should please let the organizers know and we will remove you from the roster.

If you would like the Dean of the Graduate School to speak with your supervisor or instructor of record about the conflict, she is happy to do so.  There must be some other way the duties can be covered for the few hours of this important event.

Question: I have a conflict for the entirety of the scheduled time on April 23. Can I present my research remotely, or on another date?

Answer: We are very sorry that some participants have a conflict with April 23. However, due to the nature of the event, it is not possible to participate remotely, or on another day. If you cannot attend in person, please inform jack.corcoran@uconn.edu so that you may be removed from the program.

The key dates of April 7 and April 23 were shared in the initial communications about the event. Although April 7 was modified from an initial round to an optional workshop, the finals were always intended to take place on Wednesday April 23. The second date was selected to coincide with the final Board of Trustees meeting of the academic year, and we regret the conflict that will make some selectees unable to participate.

Question: I already have a poster in landscape format and/or I already have a poster with different dimensions. Can I use this existing poster, thus saving the burden on the doc production center, and the cost of an additional print?

Answer: Unfortunately, no. No other dimensions or orientations are acceptable. All symposium posters must be 24 inches wide and 36 inches tall. You will be disqualified if you do not have a poster that matches these dimensions.

There are three main reasons for this lack of flexibility.

• First, it would not be fair to other participants (who may have also had another existing poster but made a new one for this competition) for some people to have extra “space” that a larger or wider poster would allow.
• Second, if posters are wider than 24” we will not be able to fit more than one on each side of the display board, and we plan to pack posters as tightly as possible to minimize the number of boards that we must use. Some posters in “landscape” format would have an entire board, and thus an unfair advantage.
• Finally, the emphasis and audience of this competition is different from any other venue you may have presented in before. You should re-think your work and create a new poster that emphasizes 1. what you personally did as a graduate student; 2. the impact of your research; and 3. Communicates this to a general (not specialist) audience. It is very unlikely that the emphasis, content, or terminology of a pre-existing poster, such as one you presented previously at a professional conference, would be suitable for this event.

Question: How do I print my poster?

Answer: If you are in the College of Engineering, follow the ETS instructions available here.

If you are not in the College of Engineering, print your poster through Document Production using the following steps:

Storefront Printing Instructions:

• Click on the storefront link: https://ddpcstorefront.uconn.edu/DSF/SmartStore.aspx?6xni2of2cF2mbo8KZ3Vpj/WcqycHV/jU1OydeV8ssqAIMnBrPdbTOszDWr/mjElG#!/Storefront
• Login or Create a New Account
• Browse “Shop by Category” on the left-hand side of the screen
• Click “Large Format Poster”
• Click “Poster Printing Buy Now” (blue button)
• Click “Add Files” (grey button)
• Select “Upload Files” (must be PDF Documents)
• Under “Job Name” enter your first and last name
• Under “Quantity” enter 1
• Click “Add to Cart” (blue button)
• Click “I Agree”
• Click “Proceed to Checkout”
• Select “Pay at Store”
• Click “Submit Your Order”
• For any Questions, students should reach out directly to the Document Production Center at 860-486-2022. Open from 8AM-4PM Monday through Friday.

Any additional questions can be directed to gradschool@uconn.edu.

Dear Graduate Students,

As we approach the end of the spring semester and the registration period for next semester begins, please review the information below regarding Fall 2025 enrollment. The information below is relevant to both new, incoming graduate students and those who will be continuing on as students in Fall 2025. If you have not done so already, please be sure to enroll in classes prior to the start of the semester*, which begins August 25.

*Students who are using an employee tuition waiver should follow the timeline associated with their waiver.

Information for New Students
Departments and programs may have more specific guidance for new students on what courses they should be enrolling in. Students should reach out to the program or their academic advisor for guidance on which courses they should enroll in during their first semester. (This information may also be available on the program’s website or in the Graduate Catalog.)

If a student has holds on their account that prevent enrollment, such as the Student Financial Responsibility Statement or an immunization hold, they will not be able to register for classes until those holds have been cleared. We advise students to try to register early so that there is plenty of time to review and clear any holds before classes fill up or enrollment deadlines approach.

The Office of the Registrar’s website provides an overview of useful registration tools available in Student Admin along with registration-related forms. UConn’s Knowledge Base provides step-by-step instructions on how to manage your enrollment through the Student Administration system. If you have difficulty registering, please reach out to onestop@uconn.edu (or registrar@uchc.edu for UCH grads) for assistance. Please note, permission numbers for courses are typically managed by the course instructor.

Continuous Enrollment
Continuous enrollment is a requirement of all graduate programs. Continuing students who will not be registering in coursework or research credits must register for a zero-credit continuous registration course to maintain their active student status. Continuous registration courses include GRAD 5997, GRAD 5998, and GRAD 6998, as well as GRAD 5999 (Thesis Preparation) and GRAD 6999 (Dissertation Preparation). Enrollment in these sections should be completed before the first day of classes. There are financial implications when changing from being enrolled in credits to no credits as of the first day of classes. Changes from credits to a zero-credit placeholder cannot be made after the first day of classes.

Research Credits
Students should consult with their advisor regarding when it is appropriate to enroll in research credits for their course of study. Doctoral students should register for GRAD 6950. Plan A Master’s students should register for GRAD 5950. Each section number corresponds to the number of credits you will earn (e.g., GRAD 6950-001 will earn one credit, GRAD 6950-002 will earn two credits, etc.). All sections will show “Staff” (or similar) as the instructor. Through an automatic process later in the semester, students will be moved to a grade roster associated with their major advisor. Permission numbers are not needed for students to register for these research courses during the academic year and the permission number field should be left blank when registering. If you attempt to register and receive an error, contact onestop@uconn.edu for assistance. Be sure to include your 7-digit student ID in all correspondence.

Cancelling Enrollment/Leave of Absence
Continuing students who wish to cancel enrollment prior to the start of the semester or any student who attends class and then decides to withdraw from all their courses should notify The Graduate School (TGS) by completing an online Voluntary Separation Notification Form as soon as possible. The add/drop period that extends through the 10^th day of classes is only available to students who plan to be enrolled in credited coursework throughout the semester. A student who wishes to go down to zero credits or withdraw from their program completely will need assistance from The Graduate School and will be subject to the University’s Withdrawal Tuition and Fee Adjustment schedule which will apply based on the date the student notifies TGS of the intent to withdraw via the online Voluntary Separation Notification process, not when they last attended classes. Visit The Graduate School’s voluntary separations webpage to learn more about options available, including the academic leave of absence process.

Deferral of Admission
If you are an incoming student for the fall semester and wish to request a deferral of your application/admission to a future semester, more information on that process is available on The Graduate School’s admissions FAQ and questions can be directed to gradadmissions@uconn.edu.

Day 10 Automatic Separation
Students who do not register for either credit-bearing classes or a continuous registration course by the 10^th day are automatically discontinued from their program. If the student then wishes to be enrolled after Day 10, the student will need to request reinstatement to their program, which is not guaranteed and incurs a $65 fee. Students should also be aware that classes with insufficient enrollment will be cancelled and will then be unavailable even if the student is reinstated. A lapse in active student status may also affect access to University systems, such as student email and OneDrive, and may result in permanent data loss. Timely registration will maintain active student status and prevent this.

Additional Registration Information for GAs
Graduate assistants (GAs) are required to be enrolled as full-time students (6 or more credits), as noted in their offer letter and The Graduate Catalog. Employment as a GA is a result of student status, therefore GAs are expected to be registered for a minimum of six credits before the start date of their employment (August 23, 2025). GAs who have not completed their registration for a minimum of six credits by their start date are not fulfilling one of the contingencies of employment and will be subject to termination from their assistantship. (GAs employed solely at UConn Health should follow UCH registration deadlines.)

Please note, the tuition waiver will not post to a GA’s fee bill until the GA is registered for at least 6 credits. Therefore, if a student is not fully registered in a timely fashion, this can result in a Bursar hold on the student’s account that blocks enrollment and other services, as well as incur late fees.

Students should consult with their advisor regarding when it is appropriate to enroll in research credits for their course of study. Doctoral students should register for GRAD 6950. Plan A Master’s students should register for GRAD 5950. GAs should NOT register for GRAD 6960 (Full-Time Doctoral Research) or GRAD 5960 (Full-Time Master’s Research). GRAD 6960 and 5960 are only 3 credits and will create duplicate fee charges or prevent the tuition waiver from populating if it is the only course the GA is registered for.

GAs employed at Storrs and regional campuses who fall under the Graduate Employee Union (GEU) are encouraged to visit the Graduate Assistant Onboarding webpage. This page provides information, resources, and to-do items specific to being a GA that helps GAs successfully transition into their assistantship.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to The Graduate School for assistance. Please include your 7-digit student ID number in all correspondence.

To register now, please log in to the Student Administration System.

Best,

Megan Petsa
Director of Graduate Student Administration

The Graduate School
University of Connecticut
The Whetten Graduate Center, Second Floor
438 Whitney Road Extension, Unit 1152 | Storrs, CT 06269-1152
860.486.0977 | www.grad.uconn.edu | Pronouns: she/hers